


if one thing i know, i'll fall but i'll grow

by zhennie



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, soft banju hours, they're married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26592088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zhennie/pseuds/zhennie
Summary: For all their lives have changed, it's still Juza and Banri at the center of it, the two of them revolving around each other, drawing into each other ever closer like two celestial bodies unable to resist each other's gravity.“...thanks, Settsu,” Juza says, and there’s real affection in his voice, deep and ingrained in every word. Banri is old enough to recognize the complementing warm feeling in his heart as a returned affection, rather than the complete disdain he’d insisted it was for the longest time. Juza’s always been Banri’s driving force forward, the rival at his heels. He never thought that he’d also be the person waiting to welcome him home on the other side.“I’m Hyodo now, remember,” Banri shoots back, teasing, and he can feel himself smiling, “now get back to work, you daikon.”
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza/Settsu Banri, Hyoudou Kumon/Izumida Azami
Comments: 9
Kudos: 117





	if one thing i know, i'll fall but i'll grow

“I’m going to be home late tonight.” 

“Hah? Why did you need to call me for that?” Banri asks, his body twitching reflexively as his voice rises aggressively. The hairstylist gives him a glare in the mirror as his hair falls out of the ponytail she’s pulling it into, and Banri exhales, his shoulders loosening again. He flashes her a charming smile in the mirror, apologetic. 

“I’m going to be late tonight,” Juza repeats patiently. After fifteen years, he’s finally learned to ignore Banri’s provocations, although the same can’t be said for Banri.

“Most people would just send a text,” Banri says, being careful to keep his voice steady as to not agitate the stylist again.

“It’s more polite to call,” Juza replies, his voice still even. In the background, Banri can faintly hear voices calling out, mixing with each other. They must be in the middle of shooting a scene, Banri thinks, must be that busy if that was the time Juza had chosen to call him, rather than just shoot off a text. 

And Banri knows that in reality, Juza’s calling because he knows Banri gets upset if he doesn’t hear Juza’s voice all day, even if it’s just briefly. A working model and a working actor have packed schedules, after all, and unlike when they lived together in the Mankai dorms, it seems like they never see each other now, even though they’re married. 

“Fine,” Banri says dismissively, as if he’s not completely aware that Juza is doing this for him, “are you going to eat dinner at home?”

“Unsure,” Juza says, his voice drifting into distraction—the director must be calling him back to work, Banri thinks. 

“Well, let me know if you are,” Banri says, “I’ll make you something.”

“...thanks, Settsu,” Juza says, and there’s real affection in his voice, deep and ingrained in every word. Banri is old enough to recognize the complementing warm feeling in his heart as a returned affection, rather than the complete disdain he’d insisted it was for the longest time. Juza’s always been Banri’s driving force forward, the rival at his heels. He never thought that he’d also be the person waiting to welcome him home on the other side.

“I’m Hyodo now, remember,” Banri shoots back, teasing, and he can feel himself smiling, “now get back to work, you daikon.” 

\--

There’s a Hyodo waiting in front of the gate when Banri gets home, but it’s not the Hyodo Banri wants. 

“Oi,” Banri calls, and Kumon looks up from where he’s sitting against the gate, arms wrapped around his knees, and head braced against them. His face is puffy and red, which Banri thinks is strange, considering who he lives with, and upon seeing Banri, Kumon’s lips turn down, displeasure clear on his face.

“You’re not Nii-chan,” Kumon says. Banri is used to this disappointment from Kumon, though, and steps forward to open the gate. 

“He’s working late tonight,” Banri explains, “why’s your face look like that? I’m surprised Azami let you out of the house.” He hears Kumon shuffling to follow him as he heads to the front door, unlocking it. It’s only then that Banri looks back, and see’s Kumon’s averted gaze, the thin line of his lips and the way his fingers twist together. 

“We….had a fight,” Kumon says, reluctant, “.....Azami kicked me out.” 

“Huh?” the word just slips out of Banri’s mouth--Azami and Kumon had looked cozy enough when he and Juza dropped by last weekend. Kumon turns away, with a look that someone else might have called ‘irritation’, but that Banri knew, with long years of deciphering Hyodo expressions, was really ‘embarrassment’.

“Never mind,” he says, “if Nii-chan’s not here I won’t bother you--”

“Hey, I never said you were a bother,” Banri says, pushing the door open, “come on. I’ll make dinner and you can explain.” 

“Sorry for the mess,” Banri says as he toes off his sneakers, wandering around to flip on lights. 

“Pardon my intrusion,” Kumon mumbles, taking off his own shoes slowly. Banri lets himself go through the motions of his coming home routine, throwing his keys onto a table, shrugging off his jacket, picking up the plates they had left on the table that morning in their rush out the door. It’s something he’s picked up from observing Juza, the other times Kumon has come over with things heavy on his mind--when he’d been deciding whether he wanted to sign with a baseball team, or go to college; when he’d been trying to figure out how to ask Azami out; when he’d been trying to figure out what to get everyone for Summer Troupe’s reunion party. 

Kumon’s come a long way from the newbie rookie who had hidden his fever rather than share his troubles with others, but it’s still important, Juza had said, to let him take that first step forward. So Banri continues by his bag without a word--phone, wallet, handheld console, a handful of assorted samples the makeup artist had sent him home with--as Kumon shuffles into the room, his expression pensive, eyebrows knit together in an expression similar to Juza’s when he’s studying a particularly large piece of cake. 

“Ah, you can take these,” Banri says, tossing some of the samples to Kumon, who catches them easily--as expected from the Tigger’s up-and-coming ace pitcher--”give them to Azami, the makeup artist gave me too many anyways.” Kumon just stares at them in his hands, his expression unreadable to Banri. Maybe that was the wrong way to push…?

“What if he doesn’t want me to come back?” Kumon asks, “what if we’re done and he kicks me out and never see each other again, or we do see each other again and it’s awkward and Mankai will never have another reunion because of it and I’ll have destroyed the trou--”

“Whoa, calm down,” Banri interrupts, “your negativity is too much, kid.” 

“I’m not a kid, One-Length!” Kumon scowls back, automatic. But then, after a moment, he droops again, lapsing into silence. Banri gives it a moment, and then lets out a deep exhale. 

“Come on, whaddya want for dinner?” Banri asks, inclining his head towards the kitchen, “I’ll let you pick.”

\--

Though their bowls of ramen have long been finished, Banri and Kumon are still sitting at the kitchen table when Banri hears the key turning in the lock and the door open, and Juza’s faint _I’m home_ from the entrance. Banri can tell, from the sound of Juza pausing in taking his shoes off, that he’s noticed the extra pair of shoes, as well as Kumon’s backpack. 

“Kumon,” Juza says immediately as he enters the room, and Kumon’s head whips up from where he’d been staring into the dregs of his bowl.

“Nii-chan!” Kumon says, “ah, welcome home”! 

“Welcome home,” Banri echos, giving Juza a slight smile, “did you eat?” 

“Yeah,” Juza replies, “one of the assistant directors treated us after.” He gives Banri smile back, face softening in a way that Banri wouldn’t have thought possible when they were younger, before turning his attention back to Kumon.

“Kumon, what are you doing here?” Juza asks. 

“Ah….” Kumon says, his voice trailing off, as he averts his gaze, “Azami and I...had a fight.” Juza glances at Banri, and between them passes the same expression that had passed during Sakyo and Izumi-san’s wedding, when Sakyo had suddenly seemed to lose his confidence, and it had taken Azami and Banri combined to beat it back into him. 

“But you’re going to go back and fix it, right?” Banri prompts, “if you explain it the same way you just explained it to me, it’s going to be fine.” 

“...yeah,” Kumon says, taking a deep breath, and repeats, “it’s going to be fine.” 

“And if it’s not, just send Azami to us,” Banri shrugs, “we’ll straighten that brat out.” 

“I don’t want you to do that!” Kumon scowls, but then his mouth wavers, settling into something more positive than negative, which Banri counts as a win.

“Do you need a ride home?” Juza asks, interrupting Banri’s fun, “it’s getting late.” 

“Ah no, I’ll be fine!,” Kumon says, glancing down at his phone, “oh, I didn’t realize it was this late! Sorry for taking so much of your time!” He directs the statement at Juza, but Banri is the one who replies.

“It’s fine,” he says, “and we’ll see you next week, right?” 

“Yes!” Kumon says, a little more cheerful now, “at Yuki-san’s fashion show!” Bolstered back up, Kumon is a whirlwind as he leaves, much more energized than when Banri had found him in front of their gate a few hours earlier. 

The two of them stand in the doorway waving as Kumon leaves, lingering as his tall frame disappears into the darkness before they step back and close the door. Banri lets out a loud sigh as he stretches, hands going over his head, his shirt riding up as his spine cracks. 

“Thank you,” Juza says, suddenly, and Banri’s gaze slides to him, one eyebrow raised in a question. 

“Hmm?” Banri asks, shuffling back into the kitchen to clear the bowls, “for what?” 

“For helping Kumon,” Juza says, “I know you two don’t get along.” 

“Eh, he’s kinda grown on me,” Banri shrugs, “but I did it as much for you as I did for him.” 

“Mm,” Juza says, joining Banri in the kitchen. He moves Banri to stand by the sink, rather than in front of it, and turns the water on, “you dry, I’ll wash.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Banri says, and lets their small talk fade into silence, the sound of clinking plates and running water, the feeling of Juza’s broad, sturdy body next to his--comforting, a well-known and familiar presence. At this point, Banri thinks idly, they’ve known each other for more years than they haven’t. They’ve been together for more years than they haven’t.

“I don’t know if I would take advice to ‘just talk to someone’ from you,” Juza says. In another time, Banri might have been annoyed with Juza for breaking the nice mood. But that was then, and this is now. 

“Better from me than from you,” Banri replies, and Juza gives a little laugh. Banri leans in, pressing against Juza’s side, and Juza turns to him, his eyes gentle. 

“Welcome home, Juza,” Banri repeats, his own voice softening, “I missed you.”   
  


**Author's Note:**

> thank you to lily and kuro for betaing. 
> 
> lily and i were discussing banju and this just...happened. i love soft banjus. whoops.


End file.
